How State Budget Cuts Affect Your Property Taxes

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Researchers crunched tax data and found state budget cuts have resulted in higher local taxes over time

A new report finds that Granite State communities are leaning more and more heavily on property taxes.  Examining data from 2007-2010, the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies found:

“Total municipal appropriations per person have leveled off considerably over the past three years compared with pre-recession trends.  At the same time, we see that two main sources of municipal revenue–state aid and property taxes–have been under strain, with per capita state aid to cities and towns down roughly 14 percent from 2007 to 2010.  Total property valuation per capita remains essentially flat over that same period, after several years of annual increases.”

In other words, as the state’s cut its budget, local governments–and by extension, property owners–are picking up the tab.  And although property values haven’t really gone up, residents have been paying higher and higher taxes anyway, to make up for what the state used to pay for.

In addition to the report itself, the Public Policy Center used 2011 data to create this map of town tax rates.  The darker the town, the higher the total property tax rate.  When you click on the town, you can see the total tax rate and a breakdown of various state, town, and county taxes.  You can also see how average town spending per person compares to the state average.